Magnetic game device



Oct. 18, 1960 c. R. LUCHSINGER 2,956,807

MAGNETIC GAME DEVICE Filed Feb. 27. 1957 INVENTOR. Charles Luchsz'vzger BY MM PM #m/L ATTORNEYS United States Patent MAGNETIC GAME DEVICE Charles R. Luchsinger, New York, N.Y., assignor to The Luchland Co., New York, N.Y., a firm Filed Feb. 27, 1957, Ser. No. 642,894

1 Claim. (Cl. 2731) This invention relates to magnetic toys or games.

It has been previously proposed to employ magnetized or magnetically-responsive playing pieces on a playing board, and to actuate the pieces by means of a magnetized wand or the like, utilizing the attractive force provided by the magnetic components.

In accordance with the present invention a playing piece having a magnetic component is also actuated by magnetic force in response to movement of a magnetized wand, but such actuation is effected not by the attractive force but by the repulsive force between two magnets, and when through inadvertence or improper operation on the part of the operator the attractive force is allowed to be utilized or to become operative, this results in an undesired actuation of the playing piece, calling for a penalty by which the player at fault is given a demerit.

Thus a certain degree of skill is required on the part of each player to utilize to the fullest advantage the repulsive forces and to hold in abeyance the attractive forces between the magnets.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved magnetic toy or game, wherein the Another object of the invention is to provide a novel 7 and improved game device as above set forth, wherein the path of travel of the playing piece is so constituted and organized as to provide certain pitfalls or places where it is easier for the attractive force to become effective, thus penalizing an unwary or unskillful player attempting to manipulate his playing piece along said path.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved magnetic game device in accordance with the above, which is simple in its construction, easily understood even by youthful players, and inexpensive to produce or fabricate.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a novel game device as set forth, which maintains the interest of the players at a high level.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a game device of the above character, which may be played with equal facility by a number of players or else by a single player, as the situation may require.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts wherever possible in the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a game made in accordance with the invention, showing details of the playing board and the tortuous channel or passage provided thereby for the playing piece.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l and disclosing additionally the magnetic playing wand and method of utilizing the same.

As shown, the improved game device of this invention 2,956,807 Patented Oct. 18, 1960 2 comprises a playing board indicated generally by the numeral 10, said board comprising a flat transparent face or window member 11 which is attached to a formed base member 12. The window member 11 may be constituted of any suitable material, such as transparent plastic or the like, whereby it is not easily broken and will provide a clear view of certain portions of the base member 12. The window member 11 preferably is provided with various indicia illustrating situations in which the playing piece may become involved, said indicia being located with respect to formations of the base member 12 constituting a channel or path of travel of the playing piece.

As seen in Fig. 1, the window member 11 may have a field of solid color, as for example green or the like, said field being indicated by the numerals 13 disposed at various places. Extending horizontally through the field 13, the window member 11 has a clear area comprising transparent portions 14 outlining a tortuous path which the playing piece is intended to travel. Adjacent the bottom margin of the window member 11 I provide a line 15 extending across one of the transparent portions 14, said line having the-words start and finish disposed at its opposite sides, to indicate the point at which the playing piece is put into play.

Also'printed on the window member 11 are obstacles and designations representing objects intended to be traversed by the playing piece. The window member 11 may have, for example, a flower designation 16, a picture of a hollow log 17, a black cat 18, a designation of a bed spring 19, a designation of a dog house 20, a bridge 21, a fence and gate 22, a chicken coop 23, orchard trees 24, a pickle barrel 25, a stove pipe 26 and a beehive 27, the latter representing the ultimate goal or destination of the playing piece.

While any type of elongate playing piece may be utilized in playing the game, I prefer to provide a playing piece such as that indicated at 28, in the form of a bee, said playing piece having embedded in it a permanent magnet 29 of the Alnico or similar type.

The base member 12 is formed to provide a continuous tortuous path or channel having bends and crossed portions conforming exactly to the path outlined by the transparent portions 14 of the window member 11, and such channel, indicated at 30 in Fig. 2 has a width which is suflicient to provide clearance for the playing piece 28 while still preventing the latter from being turned around in the channel, or in any of the turns or crossing portions thereof. Thus the playing piece 28 will have to travel along the tortuous path indicated by the portions 14 of the window member 11, from the beginning of the path to the end without skipping any portions whatsoever. The playing piece 28 will have to traverse all of the curves in the order in which they occur, the same being true of the crossing portions of the channel or path, ultimately winding up its trip at the beehive 27.

In accordance with this invention I provide a magnetic playing wand 32 having a permanent magnet 33, said magnet together with the magnet 29 of the playing piece 28 being so disposed as to have unlike poles at the lower or contacting tip of the wand 32 and at the head or foremost portion 34 of the playing piece. Thus, in accordance with the intended mode of operation of the magnetized wand 32, the latter is manipulated to push the playing piece 28 ahead of it, utilizing the repulsive force between the like poles of the magnets. If care is not exercised in such pushing, or if the player is over enthusiastic or attempts to push the playing piece 28 too rapidly, the piece may not respond quickly enough, causing the wand 32 to bypass the repelling pole and approach the head 34 of the playing piece. Upon this occurring, the strong attractive force between the wand and the head of the playing piece will result in the latter quickly darting backward, and this is characterized as a sting, meaning that the player has been stung by the bee constituting the playing piece. Such occurrence is intended to penalize the player, and a demerit is given such a player, in the following manner: The upper marginal portion of the window member 11 has a plurality of printed rectangles extending in a row from one side to the other and indicated by the numerals 36-43 respectively. The rectangle 36 is labeled no stings, and the rectangle 43 labeled stung out. The rectangles 3742 are labeled respectively, 1 sting, 2 stings, 3 stings, etc. The window member 11 has a clear transparent portion 44 constituting a path of travel for a steel ball 45, and has transparent portions 4452 indicating storage areas where the ball 45 may rest. The base member 12 has recessed or depressed portions 54 providing a channel for said ball, and a player may position the ball by means of the wand 32, to keep track of the demerits which he receives. If more than six demerits are received by any one player, he loses his chance to continue the play, and is automatically out until the game is again commenced.

The object of the game is for each player to manipulate the playing piece 28 by means of the wand 32 from the start to the finish, making the playing piece transverse the tortuous channel outlined by the Window member 11 without receiving more than six stings or demerits. The player with the least number of stings, of course, Wins the game.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing that I have provided a very simple and interesting magnetic game device which may be played by one or several players, and which will maintain a high level of interest. The playing of the game involves a certain amount of skill and dexterity, together with patience, and the player who is repeatedly the most skillful will have the best score. But few components are required, of relatively simple construction, thereby enabling the game to be fabricated economically and retailed at a relatively low price. There are no Working parts which might become inoperative with improper use, and accordingly the device will have an extended useful life when given normal care.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claim, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

In a game, a base member, a tortuous channel formed in said base member, said channel defining a path for a playing piece, an elongated playing piece received entirely within said channel, said playing piece having a head end and a tail end and a width less than the width of said channel and a length greater than the width of said channel to prevent turning of the piece in said channel, a window member extending over said channel and attached to said base, said window member forming a top for said channel and being sutficiently close to said base to prevent movement of said piece upwardly out of said channel but leaving a slight space between the top of the playing piece and the bottom of the window, said playing piece having a magnet attached thereto with the poles of said magnet being spaced longitudinally of the piece along said channel with respect to each other, one pole being positioned adjacent the tail end of said piece and the other pole being positioned adjacent but spaced rearwardly of the head end of said piece, an elongated wand member of a size such that it is readily manually manipulated, said wand having a magnet attached thereto with its poles displaced longitudinally along said wand with respect to each other, one of said poles being positioned at one end of said wand, said one pole having a magnetic characteristic similar to that of the magnetic pole in the tail end of the playing piece, said wand being freely movable over said playing piece above said window without engagement of said one pole of the wand with said piece but with sufficient proximity to cause movement of said piece along said channel when juxtaposed to the magnetic pole in the tail end of said piece, and to lift the piece into engagement with the underside of the window when the wand is moved inadvertently closer to the magnetic pole adjacent the head end of the piece from the rear, said lifting of the piece into engagement with the underside of the window member resulting in a clicking sound.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,988,071 Bryn Jan. 15, 1935 2,249,454 Brake July 15, 1941 2,525,738 Tormey Oct. 10, 1950 2,528,938 Wolf Nov. 7, 1950 2,590,002 Frazier Mar. 18, 1952 2,594,678 Parke et al Apr. 29, 1952 2,747,872 Harvey May 29, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 933,195 Germany Sept. 22, 1955 

